Naruto the Great Kunoichi
by sara t. fontanini
Summary: This may a story you are familiar with. it is about a ninja named naruto Uzumaki, who is an outcast and wishes to be Hokage. This story, however, is a little different. It's the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a kunoichi.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto: The Great Kunoichi

By Sara T. Fontanini

This is a tale of a ninja. Many may already be intimately familiar with this tale. But, this tale is different.

For you see, this is a tale about a ninja, who lives in the village hidden in the leaves.

And this ninja wants to be Hokage, the greatest ninja in the village.

And this ninja has to deal with prejudice, lonliness and even hatred.

And this ninja does have the nine-tailed demon sealed within them.

But things are different. This is a slightly altered world.

This ninja is not Naruto Uzumaki, a male ninja.

This ninja is Naruto Uzumaki, a kunoichi.

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It was morning. Naruto had woken up and prepared a hearty breakfast. Well, it was three rice balls, but when life gives you lemons...

When she had finished, she got dressed. She checked herself out in the mirror.

She had on a black long sleeved top, an orange vest and orange pants. She loved orange. Almost as much as she loved ramen.

People teased her about dressing boyishly, but she didn't care. Her father HAD given her a boy's name, but she didn't care about that either. She was who she was. She wouldn't change for any reason.

She then put on her new headband. But this one was special. It had a steel plate with the village's symbol engraved on it. This showed the world that she was an official ninja of Konoha. And she had worked hard for it.

She was a poor student, but she wanted to be a ninja. It was the only way she could find acceptance. When she couldn't pass the test that would allow her to achive her dream, she was devastated. But then Mizuki-sensei had told her about the scroll, how she could pass simply by learning one of the skills inside. It was like a gift from the Kami. She had worked hard to master the Kage Bunshin, the first jutsu that was written down. Since it involved creating a clone of herself, she had difficulty even getting the basics down. But she got it in the end. And when Iruka-sensei had said how he aknowledged her, she was sooo happy. And it all paid off when she used that new skill to defeat Mizuki-yarou. And all that allowed her to get the headband from Iruka-sensei, and officially become a ninja.

Today was her first day as an honourary kunoichi. The first step to her goal. her dream.

To become the first female Hokage of the village.

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Naruto had entered the classroom and took her seat. Next to _Sasuke_. How she hated him. She couldn't understand how every other female in the village loved him. He was... He was so...... _Sasuke_.

She couldn't think of any word good enough to describe how his very existence could agravate her so.

But there was a shining light in the badness that is sitting next to Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura.

"Hey, Naru-chan!" She said with a smile.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!"

No matter what, she could always brighten up her day. She and Sakura had been friends since they were five. And Naruto's feelings of friendship had grown into....something else.

"Naruto," Sakura began, "can I sit next to Sasuke-kun? Please?" She gave puppy-dog eyes.

"Sure."

The only reason that she and Sakura were still friends was simply because Naruto was the only girl not after Sasuke, so noone thought of her as a threat. And as long as Sakura sat between them, Naruto didn't have to aknowledge that teme's existence.

Ino was a seat behind them. As with Sakura, Naruto was good friends with Ino as well. She had heard that Ino and Sakura used to be friends as well.

"You think simply sitting next to him will mean anything? He's mine, Forehead. There's nothing _you_ can do about it." Ino said venomously.

Not any more. Naruto rightly blamed Sasuke.

Sakura looked at her rival with fury. "Oh yeah, Ino-pig!? How are you so certain!?"

"Because, he wouldn't want a girl with such a freakishly huge forehead." Ino retorted. The two began to quarrell, until...

"Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, please stop fighting! I can't stand to see my two best friends fighting!"

Ino and Sakura turned to look at Naruto. She was tearing up around the eyes. The two girls immediately tried to calm her.

"I'm sorry Naru-chan!"

"It's okay, don't cry!"

Naruto brightened. "OK!"

A few seats over, Hayate Hyuuga, blushed and smiled. he was very shy, but was also very skilled.

'How much she cares for others!', he thought, 'Such devotion to another is so endearing! Just another reason why I love her so!'

(I have no idea why he sounds like Tatawaki Kuno. However, he only talks like this in his head.)

It was at this time that Iruka finally entered the classroom. (What the hell was he doing!?) he was holding a bunch of papers. He got ready to address the class.

"All right then," he said, "you are all here because you have passed the exam! You are now honourary ninja. You shall now be divided into teams of three, and will be under the supervision of a Jounin teacher. I will now read off the team placements. The decisions will be based on how each team is balanced out, depending on the student's individual skills." He then began announcing the team formations.

'Please, Kami, anyone but Sasuke.' Naruto prayed.

"I hope I'm paired with Sasuke!' Sakura thought.

'Let it be Sakura-chan!' Ino wished, strangely enough.

'Let my ancestor's bless me with Naruto-chan's companionship!' Hayate proclaimed. (In his mind.)

"For Team 7..." Iruka began. "Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura..."

Sakura and Naruto high-fived. Iruka glared.

"...and Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura was ecstatic. Not only is she paired off with her best friend, but Sasuke-kun as well! The Kami must be smiling on her.

'Oh, cursed Kami, why must you toy with me?' Naruto silently asked.

'How annoying.' Sasuke thought.

'Damnation!' Hayate mentally cursed. Outwardly, he just looked a little disheartened.

"Tomorrow you will meet up with your Jounin instructors. Good luck on your new paths as ninja!" Iruka declared, giving a warm smile Naruto's way.

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Team 7 were not happy. Hours had passed, and everyone else had already met up with their sensei's and left. Team 7's had yet to arrive.

"Where the hell is he!?" Sakura screamed. "He should have been here hours ago!"

Naruto also looked peeved.

Sasuke.....brooded. Either that, or he was dead. It's kinda hard to tell with him...

Suddenly, the door opened up, and in entered....a very strange person.

She was most assuredly a female. She wore a white T-shirt and dark jeans, perfectly showing off her figure. Of her face, it was unclear, since it was covered by a mask. She also had her right eye covered by her headband. She had silvery-white long hair, done up in twin ponytails (Think Naruto's sexy jutsu form).

"Hi!" She said cheerfully.

"You're the Jounin, right?" Sasuke finally spoke.

"Why, yes I am!" She answered. "Pleased ta meet ya! I just know we'll be awesome friends!" She gave a thumbs up.

'This is our sensei?' Sakura asked. 'She's so weird!'

'Awesome...' was all naruto thought.

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They had gathered in a nearby courtyard. Naruto couldn't stop staring at their sensei. She was incredibly sexy.

"So, how about we introduce each other?" Their sensei asked. "I'll start off, so you know how to do it! My name's Kakashi Hatake. Weird name, I know, but my parents _were_ kinda strange, come ta think of it..."

'Look who's talking!' Sakura thought.

'Wow! She has a boy's name too!' Naruto thought.

'She's so annoying.' Sasuke thought.

Their sensei continued. "I like lots of things. I dislike an equal number of things. My dreams for the future...are super secret!"

'She only told us her name!' Sakura thought.

"It's your turn." Kakashi said. "Starting with you!" She pointed towards Naruto.

Naruto looked bewildered. "Huh? Me?" She then grinned. "Alright! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, especially the kind at Ichiraku's, and the colour orange. I dislike the 3 minute wait with certain cup ramen."

'Talk about obsessed.' Kakashi thought, a disgusted look on her face. 'What kind of freak thinks only of ramen?'

Sakura just giggled. Naruto's ramen obsession wasn't a secret.

"My dreams for the future..." Naruto continued. "I want to be a great, no, the greatest kunoichi ever, and then I can become the first female Hokage!"

Everyone stared at her, except for Sasuke, who couldn't care less.

Sakura looked awed. "Wow, Naru-chan! I had no idea you had such a huge dream!"

Naruto scratched her head in embarrassment. "I didn't tell you? Geez, I'm sorry!"

Sakura grinned. "It's alright! In fact, I'll root for you!" She gave a thumbs up. (Why does everyone do that?)

"Thanks Sakura-chan!"

'Hokage, huh?' Kakashi thought. 'Weird.' "Speaking of Sakura," She said, "How about you go next."

Sakura nodded. "Hai. My name's Sakura Haruno, as you know. What I like is...well...." She looked at Sasuke. "Anyway, I dislike Ino-pig and anyone mean to Naru-chan!" Naruto blushed. "My dreams for the future...." She blushed and looked at Sasuke again.

'All she cares about is that boy.' Kakashi mused, with a hard look in her eye. 'I hate girls like that.' "Sasuke-kun, your turn!"

Sasuke looked annoyed, then obliged. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like many things. I dislike everything else. My dream for the future....No, my ambition, is to restore my clan, and then to kill a certain bastard."

Again, everyone stared.

'I knew there was something off about him.' Naruto glared.

'Who knew Sasuke could sound so...determined.' Sakura thought, blushing.

'Well, whaddya know.' Kakashi thought. "Well, now that that's out of the way, I have an announcement."

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"First thing tomorrow morning, we'll have a survival exercise." She said pleasantly.

"An exercise? As in more training? I thought we were going to do a mission." Naruto whined.

Kakashi feigned surprise. "Oh? You didn't know? This is a special exercise."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked again.

"This exercise is to prove you are worthy of becoming ninja. Of the many students who passed, only nine will be chosen to pass and continue on as ninja."

"What?" Naruto cried. "Then what about the academy? We were told we had already passed!"

Kakashi looked nonplussed. "Oh, that? That was just to narrow down the candidates who _could_ become ninja."

Naruto was pissed. All that hard work, and it had been for nothing.

"Oh, and one more thing." Kakashi continued.

The three gennin-to-be looked at their sensei.

"This test has a 66% pass or fail rate. If you fail, then you are sent back to the academy."

Everyone was shocked. Then Naruto suddenly looked confident.

"No matter. As a great kunoichi, I will definately pass this test!" She declared, giving the 'V' hand sign. Sakura looked at her friend in awe, and gave a thumbs up. Sasuke continued to brood.

'She's certainly interesting...' Kakashi mused. "Alright then, that is all, you three can go home. Remember to wake up super early!"

The three children turned to leave, but...

"I almost forgot."

They turned towards their sensei.

"Don't eat anything before the exercise. It can get so bad, that some just puke on the spot."

Then she gave a happy look and ran off.

The three gennin-to-be looked uncertain.

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_Yes, I know. Another naruto gender bender. But, I absolutely love naruto and gender bending stories._

_For those who may not have guessed, Hayate is Hinata, but slightly different. However, there is a distinct difference between his thinking self, and when he talks to people._

_As for Kakashi, well, he's always been weird, I just decided to make his female self weirder. I know I could've changed her name, but I thought it would add to her character. And, if I did change her name, then I wouldn't have gotten that funny line._

_I don't know why I didn't swap anyone elses gender, probably because its been done in other fanfics and wouldn't work for the story. Although, I might do it with characters that haven't been introduced. Like Ero-sennin. (:D)_

_Oh, and Mizuki did reveal the whole "Kyuubi-inside-Naruto" thing. I just didn't put it in the semi-flashback because it didn't fit. But it was said, and so Naruto is aware that she has a demon inside her. it's just that she isn't always thinking about it._

_Hope you have enjoyed my latest piece of crap. I'll get started on the next installment soon._

_And the pairings may be transparent, but oh well._

_And please comment! :D_


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 2

Naruto had gone to Ichiraku's for dinner. Sure, Kakashi-sensei had said not to eat, but Naruto was suspicous. And besides, what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Naruto wasn't alone however. Ino-chan was also having a serve of ramen.

"Ino-chan." Naruto began.

Ino looked up from her meal. "What is it, Naru-chan?"

"Why don't you tell Sakura-chan how you feel?"

Ino stopped eating, a terrified look on her face. "I already do, Naruto."

"No, you don't. Stop lying to her." Naruto looked forlornly towards her ramen. "Tell her you love her."

Ino started choking on her food. Naruto patted her back, allowing the food to go down. When Ino had regained her composure, she looked nervously at Naruto.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I see the way you look at her when she isn't looking. Like she's the most precious thing in the world. But I don't understand why you lie to her."

"It happened when we were young. I had always had a crush on her ever since we met, and I believed we would always be together. Then I found out that she was in love with Sasuke. And when she heard rumours of me liking the ass, she confronted me." She snorted. "As if I could. But she believed it. I was startled when she told me. She said we couldn't be friends anymore. I allowed my jealousy to take over. I pretended to like that bastard, pretended to dislike her, all because she broke my heart." She was crying now.

"Just tell her the truth."

"I can't. I tried, but she wouldn't listen. Besides, she loves him, not me. It's hopeless."

Naruto frowned at her friend. "I won't believe that. If I did, then I wouldn't have a chance."

Ino stared. "You mean...?"

Naruto grinned. "That's right. Promise me, that we'll be rivals in love, but still be friends." She held out her hand.

"We can still be...? Even though we both..." she shook her head, smiled, and grasped Naruto's hand. "It's a promise."

Naruto's grin couldn't possibly get wider. "I'm glad."

They continued sitting there, eating ramen. Ino's hope was renewed, and Naruto was more determined to win Sakura's heart.

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It was early morning. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke had arrived at the training ground. Sakura and Naruto were still half-asleep. Sasuke looked....about the same as usual.

Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

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Several hours had passed. Sakura and naruto were starting to get fed up when....

"Heya." Kakashi greeted, nonchalantly. (Is that even a word?)

Sakura was pissed. "You said 'first thing in the morning'! It's now almost noon! We've been waiting here for hours!"

The masked woman didn't look stressed. "Well, you see there was this guy, and he was really cute. He asked me out on a date, and told me I was the prettiest lass in the land, And I thought 'well, how can I refuse'?"

Sakura wasn't buying it. Neither was Naruto. "Yeah right." they both said, annoyed.

'Damn, they saw through my clever ruse.' Kakashi thought.

Then naruto noticed something. "Hey, you're wearing a different outfit."

And indeed she was. Kakashi was wearing a long sleeved shirt and long pants, both black. Over the shirt, she was wearing a green vest. "Oh, that was just my casual gear. This is what I wear while on a mission."

Naruto frowned. "But that get up doesn't show off your figure. I prefer your other clothes."

This annoyed their sensei. "But if I wore my other clothes, they would get dirty or torn up. And not only does this stuff protect my body from attack, they also allow me to blend in with my surroundings. Plus, this vest holds all my weapons, scrolls and such."

Naruto yawned. "It's still ugly."

'This damn brat is getting on my last nerve.' Kakashi thought, a look of fury in her visible eye. 'I'll make sure she gets the worst of it.'

"So, what's the exercise?" Sasuke interrupted.

The masked jounin was caught off gaurd. "The what? Oh, right." She regained her composure, and produced a clock from...somewhere. "You have one hour to take these bells from me." She produced a pair of bells and attached them to her belt. (I think she's wearing a belt.) She then produced three bento boxes. "Whover fails not only goes back to the academy, they also will go on without having any lunch." She gave a happy wink.

Sakura's stomach growled. 'That's why she didn't want us to eat anything.'

Sasuke hmphed.

Naruto grinned. 'I knew she was up to something. Good thing I had a big breakfast.'

Sakura's eyes widened, realizing something. "Sensei..."

Kakashi turned towards the pink-haired kunoichi. "Yes?"

"There's only two bells."

Kakashi gave a pleasant look. "That's right. No matter what, one of you will fail."

Naruto got furious. "What!? But that's not fair!"

The jounin turned towards the blonde. "Life's not fair. The life of a ninja is even less so. Now then, when I say go, the exercise shall begin. Get ready." She put on a serious look. "Oh, and come at me with the intent to kill. Any less, and you'll fail."

Minutes passed. The genin were ready to move.

"Go."

The three genin moved at once, producing kunai and finding a hiding spot. Kakashi stood alone.

"Very good. You've all hidden yourselves well. Now then --" she was interrupted as something went past her cheek. it was a kunai. It hit a tree with a thunk. Kakshi turned to see...

"Naruto."

And indeed, the blonde kunoichi was standing there, clear as day. She stood with her arms folded, grinning.

Kakashi was not impressed. "Why aren't you hiding, you dumb blonde."

The grin faltered, but didn't leave the girl's face. "I know ninja have to be masters of stealth. But that's just not me. Besides, I want to see what you're made of."

"You're a fool. Someone like you cannot defeat me." There was a hint of arrogance in the statement.

"Oh yeah? Well guess what I heard? A ninja sees through deception."

The masked woman laughed. "That's very true. I had wanted to lecture you on that. After all, you can't see through anything."

"What about you, Miss Cyclops?"

The sensei growled. "What did you say?"

"Sorry, did I say something to make you upset, Grandma?" the blonde mocked.

A vein popped on Kakashi's head. "Grandma!?"

"Hey, why do you hide your face?" she looked confused. "Are you really ugly or something?" She smirked. "Or are you just too vain to show your wrinkles?"

That did it. Kakashi came at the young girl like a raging bull. She threw a punch, which seemingly connected, however...

Naruto was now at the nearby lake, some distance away from Kakashi, who was nursing a bruised hand. A log lay in front of the white-haired sensei.

naruto chuckled. "Got ya good didn't I?"

Kakashi was not amused. "You little.... I thought you weren't good at stuff like that." She glared at the blonde.

Naruto smirked. "I wasn't. But, I've been training for a couple of days now. A kawarimi is pretty difficult, but I can perform it okay."

"You shouldn't be able to do that. A ninja can't accurately perform a jutsu of any level on an empty stomach."

"You got me. I had a pretty big meal earlier. I knew there was something suspicious about you telling us not to eat. Besides, I don't listen too well."

Kakashi looked...pleased. "Here I was thinking you were some fool. I underestimated you." She straightened. "That won't happen again."

Naruto chuckled again. "I can be pretty smart when I want to be." She put on a serious face. "Sakura, Sasuke, come on out! I would appreciate some assistance here!"

It was the jounin's turn to laugh. "They won't come. Sasuke's waiting for an opening. Even while we've been standing here talking, I've kept my gaurd up. Besides, he's a loner. He only see his 'teammates' as distractions. And Sakura, well, she may be your friend, but Sasuke will always come first for her. She will follow Sasuke's lead, not yours."

"How do you figure this?"

"A ninja collects info on their opponents before facing them in battle."

The blonde eyed her sensei. "That's why you had us tell you about ourselves."

"Correct. So, no, they won't help you. Too bad."

Naruto just grinned. "You don't know my friends too well then." She raised her voice. "Sakura-chan, trust me! I'm your best friend, remember? Just help me, alright!?"

"Enough stalling." Kakashi got ready to launch another attack, when something suddenly grabbed her and pulled her towards the ground. The jounin looked downwards and found...

"Sakura!?"

Sakura had grabbed the older woman's body as she was launching her attack, and dragged her down. She was still wrapped around the jounin's body. "Sorry sensei," she apologized, "but I trust Naruto more than you, even more than Sasuke-kun."

'I was arrogant.' Kakshi thought. 'They managed to surprise me. I'm impressed.'

Sakura removed herself from the sensei and stood up. She held up two bells. "What do you think of that?"

"Impressive." Kakashi commented. She got up, and that's when the bell rang. The jounin gave a pleasant look.

"Time's up."

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Sasuke had removed himself from the trees, and followed the group to the sculpture where they had left the clock and the lunches. Sasuke was rather peeved.

'One second. She dropped her guard for one second, and that..._girl_ took advantage of it. An amateur outperformed _me_.'

Sakura and Naruto were chowing down. Sasuke, as per the paremeters of the task, ate nothing. He didn't look like he cared much. Kakashi got ready to explain. She was standing in front of her students, the sculpture behind her.

"Now then, you may be wondering how you did."

Sakura stopped eating. "Yes, of course. We passed right?" She then looked sadly at Sasuke. "At least, Naruto and I did."

Kakashi gave the 'whoah' gesture. "Not so fast. First of all, you need to understand something. Do you know what this exercise was supposed to prove?"

Naruto grinned. Sakura looked confused.

"Hn." Sasuke said.

Their sensei sighed. "Didn't you wonder at all why you were put into teams?"

"No." Sakura answered.

"This exercise was to test how well we'd work as a team. Or, to put it another way, it was to see whether or not we could work together."

Everyone stared at Naruto. Twice in one day, Naruto said something intelligent, and was right. It had to be Armageddon.

"Naruto's right."

Naruto rubbed her head, embarrassed. "I thought it was obvious. I mean, why else would we be put together?"

Sakura nodded. "You're right. Don't I feel stupid." She realized something. "Wait a minute, There are two bells, but three of us. How could we work as a team if we're put into conflict like that?"

"A ninja sees through deception, Saukra-chan." Naruto replied.

Kakashi nodded. "The bells were unimportant. They were a tool to pit you against one another. I had to see whether you would put your differences aside, or quarrell like a bunch of vultures."

Naruto laughed. "I thought so. I knew Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't realize it, so I used myself as a distraction, and made it clear to them that I needed their help."

Kakashi gave her trademark happy look. "Correct again, Naruto. I must say I am pleasantly surprised." her look turned serious. "Now then, as to the result of the test..."

Sakura gulped.

"You all pass..." She paused. Sakura brightened. "...except Sasuke."

Sakura turned gloomy. "But why?" She whined.

"Because he cared too much for himself. He thought nothing of the two of us." Naruto replied.

Kakashi nodded, grimly. "Naruto's right. He saw you two as obstacles that'd get in his way. That kind of thinking won't work in a team." Her visible eye turned into an upside down U. "But don't worry, he won't go back to the academy."

Sakura looked up at her sensei. "Really?"

"That's right. We still need a team of three, and Sasuke is skilled. We'll just make an exchange with another team. Hopefully they will teach him some team spirit."

"Anyone in mind?" Naruto asked.

"Not really."

The blonde grinned. "Then, can I make a suggestion?"

"Oh?"

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Asuma was surprisingly accepting. He allowed Ino to join team 7, in exchange for Sasuke Uchiha's placement. Ino had immediately brightened when she had heard the news. Asuma had no idea she could look so happy. And besides, he now had the much respected Uchiha on his team now.

Sakura hated being teamed up with her rival, but Naruto had said that she had her reasons. Sakura would just have to accept working with Ino-pig.

Sasuke was unimpressed with his new teammates, whom consisted of a lazy oaf and a black hole. How could anyone eat so much and not get fat? And as for their sensei, didn't he know smoking is hazardous for your health?

Kakashi was pleased. Sure, she had gone against not only the rules of the village, but her own principles as well, but she now had a perfect team. Even she could tell how Ino really felt about things, but she decided to stay out of it, It was their business, not hers.

And Naruto? She was just happy to be with her two best friends, and to be on a team filled with such cute ladies. And not only that, but she had proven herself as a ninja.

All in all, it was a good day.

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A mysterious figure sat in a cave somewhere. Suddenly, a white-haired man entered.

"How goes the preparation?" The mystery person asked.

"Smoothely, my lady. How are you doing?"

"Better than I had anticipated. I had believed it would take longer to absorb the demonic essence, but it would appear that I had underestimated my abilities. A good sign." She smirked.

"We await your signal, my lady."

"Very well then. Tell the others that we shall strike during the chunin exams."

"As you wish, Lady Orochimaru." He left.

Orochimaru continued sitting there, silently absorbing the essence of the cave's previous occupant. Soon, she would be ready. Soon, Konoha shall know of her power.

She laughed, like the crazy, evil bitch that she is.

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_If you're reading this, then I must have done something good._

_Now, you may be wondering why kakashi was acting the way she was. The answer is simple. She was only acting to provoke her students (well, Naruto mostly). Naruto was doing the same._

_Originally, Sasuke was going to stay with Team 7 (as is canonical), but the story turned out in such a way that such an eventuallity was impossible. But, that doesn't mean Sasuke's going to be removed entirely from the story._

_Oh, and Choji and Shikamaru are girls here. Just so you know._

_Hope you've enjoyed this tale, and that you look forward to the next installment. (whenever that is. _)_


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 3

In a forest somewhere, their prey was hiding.

The three genin: Naruto, Sakura and their newest member, Ino, were in hiding in different parts of the forest. Their sensei, Kakashi Hatake, was some distance away, overseeing the operation. They were all in radio contact.

Suddenly something flashed past Ino. "I saw him!" she cried.

All four ninja ran. Ino chasing after the target, the other three closing in on Ino's location.

When all four met up, Ino had caught the target. Kakashi tied it up so it couldn't run away.

"Mission complete!" the jounin proclaimed. Naruto looked annoyed.

Not surprising. It's hardly the job of a great ninja to reaquire a run away pet for a daimyo's wife.

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At the Hokage's Tower, Team 7 returned Tora to his owner, the somewhat over-affectionate, obese wife of a local daimyo. naruto was pleased to see the cat was in distress, that furball had caused the blonde a lot of trouble. After the woman had left, Naruto turned her attention towards the Hokage.

"Hey, Old Man, why are doing these stupid jobs? I mean, we're ninja, not errand runners!"

The "Old Man" in question simply looked towards the loud-mouthed kunoichi and her group, his face betraying no emotion.

"Naruto," The Hokage began, "you are ninja, it's true. But you are merely genin, which means you are only allowed to perform D and C ranked missions. depending on how difficult a mission is, we will rank it from D, the lowest, to A, the highest. In return, we ask for a small fee from the client."

"I get that." Naruto whined. "But I'm not just some brat anymore, I need something more befitting the future Hokage."

Kakashi shook her head. "Naru-chan, you can't just demand stuff like that from the Hokage. You have to work towards higher ranked missions. You aren't yet ready for a C rank--" the Hokage cut her off.

"Now hold on. Naruto may have a point." The old man smirked. "Very well, naruto, your team may go out on a C ranked mission. I just hope you're ready for it. You may come in now, Tazuna-san!"

Team 7 looked towards the door, the only way in or out of the room. In stepped an old man, wearing a sunshade hat and carrying a sake bottle.

The Hokage chuckled. "Team 7, this is Tazuna. He is a bridge builder, and has asked us to escort him on his way back to his home, the Wave Country."

The other old man looked displeased. "This is all the protection I get? A bunch of girl scouts?" He took a swig of sake.

All four ninja had a sudden thought. 'Girl Scouts!? is that supposed to be an insult?'

"I especially don't like the looks of that small, stupid-looking one."

Naruto looked around, grinning. "Oh? I wonder who he's talking abo--" She stopped, realising she was the shortest one in the room. She leaped into the air, fury upon her face. "How dare you, you drunkard!? I'll kill you!!" Kakashi was holding her back.

"Naru-chan, if you do that, then we'll fail the mission." She said simply. Secretly, she and the other two genin would like to rip that old drunk a new one themselves.

The Hokage chuckled. he knew things would be interesting on this mission. he just hoped naruto could handle it.

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Team 7 and their charge, Tazuna, stood outside the village gates.

"This is incredible!" Naruto exclaimed, looking eager. "This is the first time I've ever set foot outside the village! I can't wait to see all the exotic locations we see!"

"Naru-chan, we will only acompany Tazuna-san to just outside his home village. We may not see anything too interesting anyway." Sakura reluctantly said. She disliked raining on her friend's parade, but it was true.

"That's right. And we may not be needed anyway. We're just escorting the guy in case bandits decide to attack." Ino added. Naruto looked disappointed.

And with that, the group walked down the path of life. Or at least, the one leading toward the land of waves.

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Meanwhile, not too far away, three men watched. They wore black cloaks, emblazened with a red cloud pattern. Their leader held a huge sword.

"Should we attack?" the smallest of the group asked.

Their leader shook his head. "Zabuza's handling things. We're just back-up."

"I dislike that smarmy creep. Why are we playing mercenary?" The tallest one asked.

"because, my dear friend, Gatou's business holds some leverage. I want to control that leverage. And besides, this job involves Konoha now, which is a bonus." he laughed. " We'll just sit on the sidelines, and kill the winner, whoever they be." He laughed.

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Elsewhere, keeping a closer eye on the konoha ninjas, two men stalked their prey. They had their weapons at the ready, poised for attack. They will please their boss, even if it means their lives.

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_I apologise for the shortness of the chapter. I just felt it should end here._

_In this chapter I have introduced a teaser of sorts for another fanfic I've got planned. The three other bad guys are the primary villains, and I have some interesting stuff planned for them. I don't want to spoil anything, but their leader has it in for Konoha. And no, they aren't Akatsuki members. Of course, that's only in the other fic. In this one, they're semi-important, and will only appear rarely. Look forward to my next fic, though!_

_I hope you keep reading, and hopefully i'll keep writing._

_See ya next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 4

Team 7 and Tazuna were in the forest. Soon, they would reach the border between the Country of Fire and the Land of Waves.

And Naruto was bored bored bored.

It had been several hours, and nobody had bothered to attack. No bandit would knowingly attack a group of ninja, no matter what rank. The blonde kunoichi was starting to think that this mission would be a bust.

'No wonder the old fart wanted us to do this mission' she thought. "Figures he gives us a mission that's worse than the others.'

That's when she noticed the puddle.

'Funny. It hasn't rained in a while, yet there are two puddles over there....' She suddenly realized something and got into a defensive position in front of Tazuna.

"Naruto, what's gotten into you?" Sakura asked, puzzled by her friend's behaviour.

"Ino, Sakura, watch out!" Naruto exclaimed. "We are not alone!"

Before the other two girls could ask anything, the puddles rose and transformed into two masked ninja, with nasty looking gauntlets. They quickly ran towards Kakashi and wrapped the jounin in razor chains.

"One down." One of the attackers said.

They pulled the chains tightly, thus shredding the white haired woman to pieces.

"Sensei!" Sakura wailed.

The two masked ninja turned towards the pink haired girl. They released their weapons, ready for round two....

But Naruto threw a kunai, and it hit a nearby tree with a solid thunk. It had ensnared the villains' chains. The attackers pulled tightly, but it only caused their weapons to break off. But they still had the gauntlets.

"Now DIE!!!" They cried. They ran towards Naruto, who had thrown the kunai. "No little genin's gonna stop us."

Naruto got ready to defend, but they ran past her.

'We're not the target!' The kunoichi realized with dread. The attackers were almost upon Tazuna, when...

They fell to the gound. Kakashi stood over them, proudly.

"I'm not some lousy genin. I'm not easily fooled." The jounin turned to naruto, and gave a thumbs up. "Good work, Naruto!"

Naruto just stood there, scratching her head in embarassment. "It was nothing, sensei. I just noticed the puddles, and realized that they couldn't possibly be there. After all, it hasn't rained in weeks."

The other two genin were frozen. They still hadn't gotten over the shock of the attack. Sakura ran to her friend and hugged her. The pink haired kunoichi was crying.

"Naruto..." She sobbed. "if you hadn't... Thank you..."

Naruto hugged the other girl back. "it's okay, Sakura-chan. We're safe now." She glared at Tazuna. "You have some explaining to do, drunkard."

Ino regained her senses. "Why? What does he need to explain?"

Kakashi was also glaring at the bridge builder. "Well, for starters, why missing nin from the mist village are after him."

Ino and Sakura were shocked. "WHAT!?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several minutes had passed. The group had tied their attackers to a tree. The four ninja now stood, various expressions on their faces, staring at the bridge builder. Naruto looked pissed, Sakura looked nervous, Ino was puzzled, and Kakashi was unreadable, due to the jounin's mask.

"I still don't understand how you were able to survive..." Tazuna said simply.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I had forgotten your village didn't have any ninja, so you wouldn't know anything about our skills." Kakashi blushed, embarrassed. "I simply performed a kawarimi, a substitution jutsu. I simply allowed myself to be caught by our enemies, and replaced my body with a simple log."

"Why didn't you help us out then!?" Ino said, displeased.

Kakashi looked at the young girl. "I wanted to learn our enemy's target."

"Their target?" Sakura asked.

"She wanted to know whether they were after us, or the drunkard." Naruto answered, and then glared at the old man. "Which brings us back to the topic at hand. Why are there ninja after you?"

Sakura turned to the blonde. "Why is that so bad?"

"Because a fight against other ninja makes this mission a B-rank, instead of a C-rank." Ino answered. "It is beyond our skill level."

Tazuna looked at his feet. "I'm sorry I was dishonest. The truth is, we needed the skills of ninja to help us in our time of need. But, a B-rank mission is too expensive, so we had to get the services of those qualified for a C-rank. You girls."

Sakura was confused. "Why would a B-rank be more expensive? And what does it have to do with him?"

"Everything." Kakashi answered. "Our clients have to pay for our services. The higher the danger level, the higher the rank. And the more expensive for the client." She sighed. "It seems he's not completely at fault."

"So, why do you need ninja anyway? Don't you have your own?" Naruto asked.

"No, we don't." Tazuna said. "Our land is too small, and it is naturally protected by the surrounding oceans."

"So, what's the problem?"

Tazuna glanced at the restrained mist nin. "I'll tell you elsewhere. I don't want to talk in front of these...men."

Kakashi looked at the beaten enemies as well. "You're right. Let's go, kids."

The group left the masked men to fend for themselves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Land of Waves, several hours later, the missing nin had returned to their comrades. They had been reprimanded for their failure, but were praised for gathering useful information. Their leader was quite forgiving.

Gatou was not.

"I can't believe you're letting them off with a slap on the wrist!" The small 'business' man bellowed. "They had failed to kill the old man! And not only that, but they had lost against a bunch of girl scouts!"

The missing nin leader glared at the midget. "They had discovered vital information. Those 'girl scouts', as you called them, are ninja from the Country of Fire. And one of them is a jounin, a very notorious one I might add."

"That doesn't change anything."

"It doesn't. Don't worry, the bridge builder will be dead soon. I'll take care of it myself."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were now on a small boat, which was being rowed towards the Land of Waves. Tazuna believe that the people after him would be alerted to their presence if the engine was running.

"So, tell us." Kakashi calmly demanded. "Why are there missing nin after you?"

Tazuna sighed. "Very well, then, I owe that much for sticking this far. Our land is very small, but it's perfect for trading ships, so they regularly come here, allowing us to live comfortably. After all, this land is naturally protected, which can be rather turbulent and hazardous if you're unfamiliar with the territory."

"I see. "Naruto nodded. "So, it's good as a tarding post. No pirates would dare attack."

"Precisely. However, our land was recently visited by man named Gatou. He is a cruel, vicious man, who is in league with some disreputable types. He came here took everything over, and has used this land to sell contraband. Weapons, drugs, you name it. However, once the bridge is finished, we won't have to worry about it."

"Why would that make any difference?" Sakura asked. (She asks a lot of questions, doesn't she?)

Naruto folded her arms, eyes closed. "Simple. They trade with sea merchants, that's how they make their livelihood. gatou has perverted their livelihood for his own purposes. However, once the bridge is built, they can trade by land, and Gatou's business would dry up. So, he's trying to stop it, by getting rid of the bridge builder, and hopefully demoralise anyone who dares to take over."

Tazuna nodded. "That's right. You're pretty smart for someone who acts like such an idiot."

A vein popped in the blonde's head. "I'll take that as a compliment, old man."

This is going to be a long boat ride.

--------------

They were drawing near. Soon, there would be nothing left of the old man and his bodyguards, only piles of rotting meat.

Zabuza grinned in anticipation.

-------------

_Man, this chapter has been on the backburner for a LONG time. But, now, it is finally finished._

_But now, a dilema presents itself: should I make Zabuza a man, or follow tradition and make him a woman? Perhaps you could help me decide._

_Hope ya liked it, and please comment! (Or I'll be mad...)_


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 5

Tazuna and the four kunoichi had left the small boat and were now walking through a forest. Soon, they would enter into the small village the bridge builder called home.

A little away, three figres clad in black coats watched from the sidelines.

For now, they would watch, and wait.

----------------

Zabuza Momochi watched them.

Soon, the time to strike would be at hand.

-----------------

The four ninja warily watched their surroundings. Even though noone had attacked them for a while, that didn't mean they were home free.

Suddenly, Naruto saw a movement, and flung a kunai in the direction she saw it. She moved closer, and found her target.

A cute little bunny.

Naruto frowned, blushing in embarassment.

Ino and Sakura snickered. Now THIS was the Naruto they remembered, a goofball who couldn't get anything right. Kakashi, however, still had her serious face on. Suddenly, she turned, and threw a shuriken of her own. Someone leapt out of the trees dodging the projectile, and they threw a weapon of their own, a huge sword. Kakasi dodged, and the sword got stuck in a tree. Suddenly, a person appeared and stood on the sword.

This person was a woman wearing baggy pants and a tight T-shirt. She also wore seperate sleeves for some reason, and covered the lower half of her face with bandages.

"You're pretty good." She remarked. "So, you're the copy ninja, Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi smirked underneath her mask. "And who might you be?"

The other woman laughed. "I am but a lowly missing-nin from the Mist Village. My name is Zabuza Momochi. I suggest you remember it well, for it will be the name of the one who sends you to hell. Of course, you could just leave and allow me to kill that old man over there, and then you can live just a little bit longer."

Naruto growled at the woman. "No way, you creepy old hag! We won't abandon this guy, even if he is a drunken old jerk who calls us names and says we're useless and that we're just little girls and...and..." She turned to her comrades. "Why are we helping this guy again?"

The three other kunoichi turned to each other, then turned back to the blonde, shrugging.

Naruto sighed. "Okay, then." She quickly turned back to Zabuza. "But we won't leave him, anyway!"

Zabuza laughed. "How amusing. It seems you have a death wish after all, very well then. I shall grant your request, and send you to hell."

She vanished, and her sword did as well. Suddenly, Kakashi dodged as Zabuza appeared and slashed with her sword. The missing-nin chased after the white-haired woman.

"Sakura! Naruto! Ino!" Kakashi shouted. "Stay with the old drunkard! He is our client, and we must ensure his safety!"

The three girls nodded and surrounded the old man, weapons at the ready.

Zabuza kept slashing with her sword, trying to cut down Kakashi. The white-haird Jounin, however, was still able to easily dodge the attacks.

"Hold still!" Zabuza growled.

Kakashi oblidged, sighing. "I'm not going to get anywhere if I just run. Okay! Time to get serious!" She raised her hand up to her face, and moved the headband covering her eye, revealing her sharingan.

Zabuza smirked. "So, now you're willing to face me for real, huh, Copy-Ninja Kakashi?"

Kakashi smirked back. "Seems so."

---------------

On the outskirts of the battlefield, three people wearing the cloaks of a group known as Akatskui watched.

Their leader, the one of medium height, smiled. "The sharingan, huh?"

The smallest one turned to their leader. "Is it powerful?"

"It is a very special ninja art," the leader explained, "called the kekei ginkai. It is essentially a ninjutsu that has been written into the very genetic code of a human being, and is passed down through the generations in a family line. The sharingan is very useful, allowing the user to copy an opponent's moves. It is also able to semi-hypnotise the enemy, allowing the user of the sharingan to subtly control their movements."

"So, the Hatake line has this ability?" The tallest one asked.

Their leader chuckled. "That's the thing, the one thing that makes this battle so VERY interesting. Kakashi Hatake shouldn't be able to use the sharingan at all. The only ones who can use the sharingan are the Uchiha clan."

The other two also laughed. "That is rich!" "Yes! A most interesting conundrum!"

Their leader, a man named Yarou, grinned. "Precisely. And that, my friends, is why we'll be watching this fight, to see how it develops. I want to know how well someone who shouldn't possess a kekei ginkai handles one."

They turned back to the fight, grinning.

-----------------

Zabuza was getting a bit annoyed. The white-haired Jounin kept parrying and dodging her attacks. It was starting to get a LITTLE old.

Suddenly, Kakashi managed to stab the missing Mist nin in the chest.

"Game over." Kakashi said.

"Not quite." Zabuza said, FROM BEHIND KAKASHI.

The person that the white-hared woman stabbed turned into water and fell into a puddle. And suddenly...

"Water Style: Water Prison!"

The puddle arose around Kakashi, and she suddenly imprisoned in a large ball of water. Suddenly, Zabuza appeared beside her, and the missing-nin placed her hand within the prison.

"I need to do this." Zabuza explained. "Otherwise, the prison will fall apart." She turend to look at the three young girls and the old man, who were still there. "I suppose I'll take care of them next, and then the old man."

Water gathered in front of her, and became another doppelganger of herself. It hefted its sword and charged at the three Genin.

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_And now, without further ado, the enxt chapter! *fanfare*_

_One of my reviewers had expressed a...dislike for the idea of maiing Zabuza a woman, but I decided to anyway, simply because it has never been done before. Still, I can understand where they were coming from. The idea of Zabuza as a female is....creepy._

_And we see some more of our OC's. Bonus points to anyone who can remember them._

_Hope ya enjoyed it, and please comment!_


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 6

The three cloaked men; Yarou, Jinchuriki and Kusotore; watched the precedings with interest.

Kusotore, the shortest one with bright red hair in ahuge fringe covering half his face, turned to his leader, Yarou. "Boss, why did that Zabuza chick just tell 'em how she performed that jutsu? Doesn't that mean that they'll focus more on beatin' her now?"

Yarou, who had long black hair and dark blue lipstick sloopily applied to his lips, smirked. "I've known Zabu-chan a long time, Kuso-kun, and she has always had one major flaw: a major arrogant streak. She likes to taunt her foes by telling them her weaknesses, and then showing them that they are unable to exploit them. Of course, she has toned down somewhat since she took on that brat."

"So, basically, she did it because she's an idiot?" Jinchuriki surmised. He was the tallest of their group, and covered his face with a black mask, showing only his eye and a portion of his black hair. He wore an elaborate harness on his back, which had large spikes stiking out of it.

Yarou grinned. "Precisely. Most of these so called 'ninja' are nothing more than boisterous fools who just talk and talk and talk and ensure that their enemies have a chance of winning." He chuckled. "They aren't REAL ninja! WE are! And, when the time comes, we'll 'em ALL just how great we are! We'll show 'em how wrong they were in saying that we had no skill, no talent, none of the necesary qualities needed to BECOME ninja! We'll show 'em all!"

His associates giggled, and they continued to watch the missing water ninja in the tight black shirt, weird seperate sleeves and blue baggy pants face off against the three genin.

This was going to be interesting.

---------------

The three genin stood by the old man Tazuna, staring down at at the short-haired brunette who had taken their sensei hostage.

Zabuza laughed. "Do you really think a bunch of kids can beat me?" She shook her head. "You must be joking. The only thing you little punks will accomplish is getting sent to the grave much sooner."

Naruto smirked. "All we gotta do is beat you, and then Kakashi sensei can finish ya. Easy."

"Foolish girl. I ahve killed people of a much higher caliber than you!" Zabuza grinned. "And besides, you have my double to get past, first."

Naruto continued to smirk. "Like I said, easy."

The double attacked, and Naruto ran past it, and attacked it. It chased after her, but she would canstantly dodge its attacks and hit it with attacks of her own.

Zabuza growled. "She's moving like a little monkey."

---------------

In the trees, Yarou grinned.

"She moves like a FOX."

----------------

The Zabuza double swung its balde, but Naruto dodged it, leaping up and kicking the double in the face. It was sent sliding backwards, a few metres away from the real Zabuza.

"Little brat!" The water nin spat, gritting her teeth. "She's just a kid, and she's giving me THIS much troube!? No one has EVER lived this long against ME!!!!"

Naruto leapt away as the couble swung its sword again, and now the missing nin could clearly see Ino, throwing a large shuriken at the same moment.

The weapon went flying through the double, causing it to collapse into a puddle, and went straight for Zabuza. Howver, the missing nin jumped up, the weapon flying beneath her.

"Please." Zabuza said cockily. "You can't take me by surprise with such a straight-forward strategy."

She gasped as she felt something grab her legs. She looked down, and saw not the large shuriken, but Naruto, holding the older woman by the legs.

The blonde grinned. "Gotcha."

She threw the missing nin away, seperating her hand from the giant ball of water. It collapsed, freeing Kakashi.

"Good move out there." The Jounin said, smirking at Naruto. "Disguising yourself as a shuriken, and then having one of your team-mates throw you while you had one of your doubles distract the enemy. But when did you make copies of yourself?"

"While you and Miss Scary were having your fight." The blonde answered, grinning. "But, this is your fight. So, I won't get in the way, unless you want me too."

Kakashi nodded. "That's quite alright." She glared at the missing nin. "This IS my fight, and I want to finish it myself."

"Pretty confidant." Zabuza said, mockingly. "But, I got you once, I'll do it again."

"We shall see." Kakashi said nonchalantly. "Now then, I shall show you why they call me the Copy Ninja."

They ran over to the nearby lake, walking on the surface by focusing their chakra.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Zabuza stared as two giant drgains of made of water were created and attacked each other, causing beoth attacks to cancel each other out. She stared at the white-haired woman, who was standing in the exact same pose as she was.

"H-how did you...?"

She stopped. Kakashi...Kakashi had just aid what she was saying, and at the exact same time! She was wasn't just imitating, it was as if she knew what the other was going to do as she did it!

"Can you...can you read my mind, or see into the future or something?"

Kakashi nodded, smiling. "Yes. I see...your death."

Zabuza prepared to unleash of her more powerful jutus, but gasped as Kakashi performed it ebfore the missing nin had.

"Water Style: Giant Waterfall Jutsu!"

Zabuza was immediately swept up in the water, and as the water fell back down, Kakashi grabbed the woman and threw her into a nearby tree.

Kakashi glared. "As I said....I can see your future, and I see only death!"

Suddenly, a needle flew out and hit the water ninja in the neck. She fell to the ground, unmoving.

Dead.

A erson leapt from the trees and picked the woman up.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked suspiciously. The three Genin and the old man were still in shock.

The person looked up at the Jounin. The person was dressed in a green kimono like outfit, black hair pulled into a bun. The person wore purple nail polish, and wore a white mask with a red swirl along the left cheek.

"I am ANBU. I was sent from the Village Hidden in the Mist to retrieve Zabuza Momochi, who held our secrets, and was a traitor. Now that she is dead, my task is to collect her body, and dispose of it." The peron picked up the body, and disappeared.

Sakura and Ino sighed. "At least it's over."

Tazuna relaxed as well. "Yes. We won't be seeing that maniac anytime soon."

"You're wrong."

They all turned to Naruto, who was frowning, her face pale.

"That woman is still alive, I'm sure of it."

Kakashi nodded. "It is most likely."

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, looking seriously over at her teacher. "We need to learn something useful, something that might help us fight against that woman. We got lucky this time, but what if she manages to get us when we're apart, or something!? So, I ask you, please teach us something new, so we might stand a chance, even when we're seperated."

"Let's discuss this AFTER we reach the village." Kakashi said.

Naruto nodded, and her teammates did so to, though hesitatingly. Tazuna just shook his head, not believing what he ahd heard.

That woman had to be dead. She just had to be.

---------------

Yarou smirked. "Well, little Haku to the rescue. You know, I seriously wonder about the relationship between those two."

"Do you think they know that we were watching?" Jinchuriki asked.

"Perhaps. Though, we can't make any assumptions. It is also quite possible, for example, that they don't know. Either way, it doesn't change our game plan: kill Gatou at the right moment, and find a way to take over his business."

The other two nodded.

"Besides, now we ahve some new information." Yarou grinned. "I want to know everything there is about that blonde kid in orange. EVERYTHING!"

"Why boss?" Kusotore asked.

"Because, Kuso-kun, that kid has the power of the Kyuubi. I'm sure of it. I want to know how she came upon it, who she is and why, oh why, is someone on her level still just a Genin? Kusotore! I want you to get someone it! Jinchuriki! I want you to keep a watch on Gatou, and keep me posted on everything! I will keep up apearances, and will inform you of any developments on my end! Now, let's HOP TO IT!!!"

They disappeared, noone ever noticing their presence.

----------------

_And so, the Zabuza fight ends._

_People have complained about my descriptive skills, and so I put in alittle more detail on Zabuza's appearance. Basically, she looks pretty much the same, except a tight black leather shirt (it COULD be leather, at least). Same with Haku._

_And now, I have formally introduced my OCs. Just to clarify, as there are some who probably won't know this, but they are NOT Akatsuki members. How did they get the cloaks, then? You'll find out._

_Next up, Tazuna's home, and we meet little Inari! Oh, and Gatou gets put in his place._

_Hope ya enjoyed it, and please comment!_


	7. Chapter 7

Naurto The Great Kunoichi Part 7

Zabuza lay on a bed, her wounds bandaged. Her apprentice, partner and all-around henchperson Haku stood by her side.

"It was a close call there." The missing-nin stated. "If it had gone on longer, I might have seriously died. I suppose I should thank you, Haku."

"There is no need." The masked ninja replied. "I was just glad to be of service, Zabuza-sama. However, I feel I should tell you that you were being watched."

"I know. Those three.... I don't trust 'em. I think we should keep an eye on them." She groaned in apin. "Do you have anything to help my wounds heal faster?"

Haku bowed. "I shall see what I can find." The masked person left the room.

----------------

Gatou read his accounts, as well as reports on various business deals and goings on. He looked up when Yarou entered.

"Why didn't you assist Zabuza?" He asked irritably.

Yarou made a look of mock surprise. "Why sir! I assure you, I would've helped out had I known that Zabuza was going to have some trouble. As it stood, I had fought she was in control there. It's a good thing Haku has better eyes than yours truly."

Gatou smirked. "That's your excuse? Don't forget, Yarou-san, that I know about the Akatsuki. I'm sure quite a few villages, including the Five Great Villages, would like to know of your group's activities."

The dwarf gasped as the man reappeared behind him, a clawed gauntlet at his throat. The possibly gender-confused man grinned. It was like the grin of a tiger as it was about to rip out the throat of its prey.

"And you should keep in mind, Gatou-san, that you should reserve your threats for when you know the situation. The Akatsuki and my organisation are two seperate entities. In fact, I couldn't care less about what those losers do, as long as it doesn't interfere with my goals."

"But, the cloaks--"

Yarou grinned wider. "A story for another day, my good man. Just remember, you've got nothing on me. So, don't try to irritate me, or we shall see how good your threats do ya."

Gatou visibly relaxed when the non-Akatsuki member had left.

-------------------

"Inari, your grandfather's home!"

Inari perked up. He had missed his grandfather terribly since he had left to get help from one of the Great Villages. He ran out of the house, eager to see his grandfather's return.

He stopped. He saw his grandfather, clad as ever in a black T-shirt, grey pants and a sunshade-hat. Beside him walked four girls. The shortest was a girl with short blonde hair that made her look like a boy, and she wore an orange vest (But nothing underneath it) and orange pants. She was talking cheerfully to a girl with long pink hair and a dark red dress. Next to her was another blonde girl, whose hair was longer than the first's and done up in a ponytail. She wore a dark blue or purple shirt and short skirt. Behind them stood a woman with long white hair done up in ponytails, wearing a dark green vest over a black T-shirt with long black pants. Her face was covered up by a black mask, and she wore a headband-looking thing over her left eye.

'_Who are these people?_' Inari thought.

--------------

Tazuna introduced everyone to his daughter and his grandson, Inari. Inari stared at Naruto, but being careful to hide behind his mother. Naruto was a bit confused by this. She didn't THINK she looked scary, nor did she believe that she had done anything to offend the boy, so why did he stare at her like that?

She shrugged. Kids.

"So, what's up with that guy who attacked Zabuza?" Ino asked her sensei.

"Well," Kakashi began, "he wore an ANBU mask. The ANBU are a special black ops devision, and perform greater espionage than a regular ninja. They take on high level missions, and answer directly to the Hokage. They also ar echarged with the task of ensuring a village's secrets. Example, if someone left the village and became a missing-nin, then the ANBU would track him down, take him out, and dispose of the body so noone would learn their secrets."

Sakura turned green. "Sounds awful."

"Such is the life of a ninja." The Jounin shrugged. "Sometimes it is not pleasant."

"The ANBU are trained to know the body, and are able to paralyse a person without killing them. However, no matter what, that guy was too young to be in the ANBU."

Kakashi nodded. "You're right, Naru-chan. Plus, there was something a little off about him."

"Which you probably saw with your Sharingan." The tomboy smirked.

"And I know how you could tell." Kakashi returned.

"But how could you know?" Sakura asked, almost pleading, getting up from her seat. "That guy's dead. He just HAS to be, right?"

The Jounin and the blonde tomboy glared at the pink-tressed girl, who sat back down, pale.

The table was silent and morose, but then Inari ran over to Naruto.

"Hey!" He said to her, blushing, grabbing her sleeve. "What's your name?"

"N-Naruto Uzumaki." She replied, taken aback.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not really."

"Then it's settled!" The boy exclaimed, grinning. "I will be your boyfriend."

Kakashi, Ino and Tazuna spat in surprise, grossing out Sakura and annoying Inari's mom. After, they had been eating, rather than drinking.

Naruto was stunned, shocked by the boy's statement.

'_H-how am I to win Sakura-chan's heart NOW!?'_

---------------

They ninja now stood in the nearby forest, Kakashi standing before her students.

"Now," she began, "is the time for training. Since we're dealing with a strong opponent, I feel it is time to teach you all a new technique."

"What is it?" Ino asked.

"I want you," the white-haired woman said, gesturing over to a bunch of trees, "to walk up the sides of these trees, without using you hands. When you reach the highest you can go, mark it with your kunai, and try to get higher than that."

"How are going to do that!?" Sakura yelled out.

"It's a basic technique." Naruto explained. "It allows the user to walk up walls and on water, and can also be used to strengthen ones chakra reserves as well as the control of ones chakra. With enough practice, it can even be used to strangthen ones abilities. It's quite handy, especially when fighting on a large body of water, like we'll be doing."

Kakashi nodded, smiling. "Correct, Naruto-chan. I must say, you are shaping up to be a surprisingly good student. Now, begin!"

And so, the training had begun.

--------------

After they were done for the day, Naruto had gone tog et some herbs for Inari's mom to use in her cooking. She was glad for it, not wanting to risk a moment with INARI. She was already freaked out enough as it was.

She stopped, gazing over at the cute looking, long-haired girlin the pink kimono.

"Hi." She greeted.

The girl turned, and smiled shyly.

"Hello, and who might you be?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. And you are...?"

"Haku. ....Just Haku."

Naruto noted that the cute girl was picking up some herbs. "And why are you out here, all alone?"

"A traveling partner or mine had gotten hurt in a fight, and I'm grabbing some herbs to help in her recovery."

The blonde nodded in understanding. "She must be very special to ya."

"She is. She is all I have....without her, I am nothing."

Naruto sighed. "I know the feeling. There's this girl I like, but she doesn't know how I feel at all. Not only that, but she's interested in this GUY. But, even I never get her, I would do ANYTHING to protect her."

Haku nodded. "As would I. However, I doubt you would be willing to go as far as I have done for the sake of the one I hold dear."

Naruto nodded, and looked down at the other girl's handiwork. "Need some help?"

"If you would be so kind, I wouldn't mind some assistance." She admitted.

And so, Naruto helped pick some herbs for her new friend.

-----------------

Naruto was extremely shocked when, after completing their task, Haku revealed her, well his, secret.

Damn it! WHat was with her and guys today!? And why was a GUY cuter than Sakura!? And why was he dressed like a girl anyway!?

Naruto fainted when Haku gave her a kiss on the cheek, prompting a giggle from the cross-dresser.

"What a cute reaction."

-----------------

"Boss," Kusotore whispered, "that's the enemy."

"Indeed." Yarou agreed. "It seems that Ha-kun has taken a liking to the fox-girl. We could use this to our advantage." His lipstic covered mouth broke out into a shark-like grin.

Oh, yes, things were looking up.

-----------------

_Sorry for the delays. Internet problems, writers block and general unmotivation stopped my progress. Hope you didn't wait too long!_

_So yeah, I have fleshed out the current appearances of our cast. I changed Naruto's look to seperate her from her canon self. And more and more, she is turning out to be a smart, super Naruto! How do ya guys like this characterization?_

_Also, who do you think should get together with who? Just curious._

_I thought it would be funny if Inari fell for Naruto, and so I followed that course. Of course, nothing will come of it. Naruto is a total lesbian, not ifs, ands or buts about it. Besides, he's too young._

_And, after much confusion and frequently asked questions, I finally reveal the surprise: Yarou, Jinchuriki and Kusotore are NOT Akatsuki members. In fact, they're something far more dangerous. Of course, I think I already gave this away, but who cares? And I love how scared Gatou is of Yarou. Hey, that rhymes!_

_How do ya like my OC villains? They'll get their own, seperate fic after I'm done here. Wait until you see them in action._

_I hope ya enjoyed it, and please comment!_


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 8

Ino stood guard outside Tazuna's family home. Earlier, she and the rest of her team had learned from Inari that there was a man who had lived here, who Inari had regarded as a father-figure and whom most the village had loved. And then he was murdered by Gatou and his men. This had caused the whole village to be demoralised and to pretty much bow to Gatou's rule.

This story had really gotten Naruto fired up, who had vowed to make Gatou pay for his crimes.

The team had gone off with tazuna to protect him, who was going to inspect and continue with the construction of the bridge, despite most people staying in their homes, obeying Gatou's orders.

That old man's determination was pretty inspiring, actually.

Naruto had told Ino to stand guard, in case Gatou's men came to cause trouble. She had grudgingly accepted, knowing full well why Naruto wanted HER to be here.

That blonde tomboy wanted a chance to win over Sakura, as well as to be away from Inari.

That kid's crush on Naruto was pretty funny at first, but now it was just getting sad. He followed Naruto like a puppy when given the chance, and would sit around moping when he couldn't find the short-haired blonde.

Of course, what really ticked Ino off was that she had to stand here, where nothing was likely to happen, while Naruto got to go off and spend some time with Sakura-chan.

And Kakashi had ganged up on her, so the pony-tailed blonde HAD to obey and guard the house all day.

It was at this moment, when she was cursing life and a certain blonde tomboy, that she heard a sound. Like a wall breaking.

She dashed inside quickly, being sure to keep herself well hidden, and then she saw it. Two men with swords were smiling maliciously, holding their swords up threateningly at Inari and his mother.

This did not look good.

* * *

Yarou grinned wickedly. If everything went according to plan, then he would enjoy a wonderful victory over Konoha, Gatou and even Zabuza. Not only that, but he would also be able to get his hands on the jinchuriki vessel of Kyubi.

Yes, today was a good day.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura escorted Tazuna across the bridge. Of course, the bridge was covered in fog, due to the bridge being built over the water or something. Not really sure on that. Kakashi and Naruto glanced around, wary of an ambush. Sakura stayed close to Tazuna, kunai in hand, acting as immediate bodyguard.

Suddenly, something charged at them through the fog. Kakshi blocked with ehr kunai, glaring into the eyes of Zabuza the Demon. Underneath the bandages covering her mouth, the missing-nin grinned.

Naruto turned, ready to help, but she was kicked away by another assailant. She smirked at her enemy, the masked person who had seemingly taken out Zabuza.

"You don't seem surprised." The masked person said.

The blonde shrugged. "Well, ya know, it was just too fishy, too convenient. Besides, no matter what, I think you're a little too young for ANBU."

"You are far more astute than you appear. I'll have to take care of that. After all, it will be far too troublesome for Zabuza-sama if you get in her way."

She made a series of handsigns, and suddenly rose up from around them, freezing and forming into a sort of cage of thin, rectangular ice slabs. The masked person jumped into one of these 'ice mirrors', literally melting into the object, as if diving underwater.

Naruto continued to smirk. "Interesting trick. But don't think that simply running into one of those things is gonna stop me from protecting my friends, my sensei and the old drunkard."

The masked person nodded. "You're right. And that's where this next trick comes in."

Naruto gasped; face pale, eyes wide, as the person appeared in several mirrors, throwing sharp icicles at her. The blonde screamed in pain as they embedded into her flesh.

* * *

Inari glared up at his oppressors, shakily standing up, frying pan in hand. "I-I won't let you hurt us. I'm....I'm not afraid of you!"

The two swordsmen laughed. "Scary! What's a little brat like you gonna do against us?" One them replied, swinging his blade. The frying pan was sliced, frightening the young boy, making him drop his makeshift weapon. They glared at the young boy, and then turned their eyes to his mother, who lay crouching on the ground, paralysed by fear. It was clear by the look in their eyes what they intended to do to her.

Suddenly, the larger swordsman arched up, eyes wide in surprise. Then he slumped, arms limp. His companion turned to him.

"Hey what's up?" He asked. "Cramp or something?"

The bigger man smirked. "You idiot. You should know better than to attack a place protected by a ninja. After all, we know all kinds of sneaky tricks."

The smaller swordsman gasped in shock as the big man hit him in the stomach. It was so forceful, that the shorter man fell unconscious. The bigger man blinked, staring down at his ally in confusion.

"What just happ-" He didn't finish as Ino jumped down from behind and kicked him right in the neck. He fell to the floor, as unconscious as his friend.

Ino turned to Inari and his mother. "You two alright?"

Inari's mother was caught up in tears, barley able to say her thanks. Inari frowned in irritation.

"I coulda taken them, ya know."

Ino nodded, smiling. "Whatever you say, kid. You were pretty brave, you know. You know, my dad taught me something long ago: if you don't stand up for yourself, then you can never change anything. Just, you know, try to make sure you can face your enemy, though. Still, you show promise." She grinned. "Hell, if given half the chance, you might even be as a great as me, or maybe even Naruto!"

He stared up at her, blushing. "R-really?"

"Of course!" She replied, giving him a thumbs up (oh no, not again). "I never lie, at least, not when it comes to things like that!"

Inari nodded, smiling. He didn't really get what she was trying to say, but he at least understood the intention behind her words.

He vowed to stand up for himself, and for his village.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kakashi faced off against Zabuza, and Naruto faced the masked person, now identified as Haku.

Naruto breathed heavily, her vision going blurry. Those ice needle things made her lose a lot of blood, and she could barely hold herself up. Regardless, she glared up at her opponent, a defiant grin plastered across her face. "Is that all ya got, ugly?"

Haku tilted his face in confusion. "Ugly? Where do you get that impression?"

"Well, why else would you be wearin' a mask, other than to hide your ugly face!"

Haku shook his head in confusion. "I don't know why you are trying to isult me, and it doesn't matter regardless. You will not win this fight. You will die, here and now."

Meanwhile, Zabuza was being restrained by a pack of ninja dogs, summoned by Kakashi. Kakashi gave the demon woman a dark glare, one filled with murderous intent.

"You're too dangerous to allow to live, Zabuza." The Jounin stated coldly. "The time has come to hit you with my most powerful technique. And don't worry; I didn't copy this one from anybody. In fact, most people haven't even SEEN me use this technique. You should feel quite privileged."

Zabuza smirked. "I can take anything you dish out, Copy Ninja Hatake."

The white-haired woman shook her head. "No, not this time." She held on to her right arm, gathering chakra into her palm. Slowly, a lightning-like energy source appeared in her hand, streaming around her arm.

Zabuza stared in shock. "Chakra that can be seen physically with the naked eye? What is this technique!?"

"Chidori." Kakashi whispered with a smirk. Suddenly, she charged forward, her arm outstretched towards her opponent.

At the same time, Haku prepared to unleash his most devastating attack on an already substantially weakened opponent. An easy win.

Naruto growled in frustration. There was nothing could do. Everytime she tried to attack one mirror, Haku would just move to another. And there was no way to dodge those needles. She was as good as dead.

Sakura stood, switching her view between the two fights. She wanted to help so badly, but she knew that she would just be a hindrance. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Why was she so useless!?

Suddenly, the ice mirrors exploded, and Haku fell to the ground, his mask shattering. Naruto stared in shock and a little horror, recognising the effeminate young she had befriended the previous day. She ran over to the young man, nevertheless concerned for his well being.

Kakashi stared in shock as someone held her arm, mere feet away from Zabuza's face. The Chidori didn't even seem to faze the newcomer, who merely grinned in amusement. He would've looked ridiculous with his sloppily applied lipstick if it weren't for the evil look in his eyes.

"Well, well, well, been a long time," Yarou greeted pleasantly, "Kaka-Pervert."

Kakashi's eyes widened. She knew this man, recognised that grin, that look of hatred in his eyes. "Yarou. You're alive."

"Correct." He man turned to Zabuza. "Zabu-chan, sorry to barge in, but things were getting boring. Hey, Jinchuriki, be sure to grab that crossdressing brat, Haku."

Naruto lookd up as a tall man, who appeared to be slouching and had a harness adorned with spikes upon his back, appeared beside her and picked up Haku. "I got him, boss."

"Excellent." Yarou said with slight grin. "Well, it was fun, Zabu-chan, Kaka-Freak, but I ahve much more important matters to deal with."

"What are doing with Haku!?" Zabuza growled. "You know what he means to me!"

Yarou nodded. "Indeed, but I have need of his skills, so I'm taking him." He grinned cruelly. "What, you though that just because we're friends that I wouldn't lay a hand on him? You wound me, Zabu-chan, you wound me."

"Leave him alone!"

Yarou frowned. Zabuza wasn't the only who screamed that. He turned to find that Naruto was standing, exuding an aura of intense rage, as well something else. Something red.

"I don't care if he is my enemy, or if he did try to kill me." Naruto muttered. "He is still my friend, and I won't let you touch him!"

Jincuriki shook his head. "Silly child. You speak nonsense. Besides, you know not who you face."

"I know enough!" She screamed, her nails and teeth growning, eyes turning red. Jinchuriki dropped Haku as his arms were slashed by claws sharp enough to rend steel, to tear through a tree or a rock. Naruto flinched back, as cuts appeared along her arms at the same time.

Yarou shook his head, tutting. "Now, really, that wasn't smart at all, Naruto. Jinchuriki's abilities make it impossible to kill him, and if you hurt him, you hurt yourself. That's the power of his Voodoo Reversal Jutsu."

He cried as Sakura jumped at him, slicing his right eye with her kunai. This had also caused him to move away from Kakazhi and Zabuza, freeing them both from his iron grip.

The muscular man growled, frowning in annoyance. "Well, now I lost one eye. That'll be a nuisance. No matter, we can still take you on, little genin."

Suddenly, villagers poured in from the side, wielding weapons, lead by Ino and Inari. Yarou gritted his teeth.

"Okay, now this is getting a little out of hand. Kusotore! Kill these pests!"

Kusotore appeared, wielding two large blades, which actually resembled two halves of a pair of scissors. He grinned. "This'll be fun."

"Hold it right there, all you!"

Everyone turned, to find Gatou and his henchmen standing at the other end of the bridge.

"You people think you can defy me and expect to get away with it?" The gangster said, smirking. "That's not how the world works, kids. You stupid villagers should've just stayed back, mindin' your own business. As for you Zabuza, I knew you would fail me, so I'm gonna have to get rid of you and your kid. I was gonna do that anyway, eventually, but now I get to act a little sooner." He frowned, glaring at Yarou. "As for you Yarou, you don't intimidate me one bit."

"The little mouse's incessant squeaking is irritating me." Yarou said with a frown. "Time to shut it up."

Suddenly, a clawed metal gauntlet materialised in front of Gatou, dug into his chest, and ripped out his heart. Gatou didn't even have time to scream. Kusotore sliced through half of the deceased gangster's henchman, and Jinchuriki killed the rest, using his harness to impale himself. The three men turned to everyone else, grinning. Naruto ran towards Yarou, digging her newly grown claws into the man's flesh. Yarou unveiled his own clawed gauntlets, and the two proceeded to duke it, dodging and clawing at each other. Ino took possession of Kusotore, making him attack Jinchuriki. All this did was cause severe damage unto Kusotore, and Jinchuriki turned to the pony-tailed blonde. Sakura and Kakashi charged forward, the Jounin hitting Jinchuriki with the Chidori and Sakura hitting the tall man with several punches to the face, torso and back. The two rogue ninja leapt away, and Zabuza charged after Yarou, rage contorting her features. Yarou now had to face two opponents at once, and it wasn't easy. Nevertheless, he grinned in excitement. He never had so much fun in all his life.

Finally, Zabuza impaled her sword through the man's chest, throwing him forwards. He landed on the bridged with a wet thump. Jinchuriki and Kusotore appeared at his sides, and smiled.

"Wonder why they're so happy?" Naruto wondered, returning to normal.

Suddenly, there was a deep, mocking laughter as Yarou arose from the bridge floor, smiling happily. He clapped his gauntleted hands together. "Excellent, excellent! I never thought some kids from Konoha could give me such a good time! You know, I got what I set out to do: I killed Gatou, and so his business is all mine. I don't really care about this dump; I have other, more interesting ways of trading overseas. As for Haku, well, I can always come back later. Same goes for you, Naruto Uzumaki. You're a very interesting individual, and I want to see more of you later. Well, toodles!"

And, just like that, the three men who wore the stolen robes of the Akatsuki were gone. Everyone stared, a little bewildered by the events that had taken place.

Suddenly, there were cheers of celebration from the villagers. Despite everything, they were free. The four Konoha ninja smiled victoriously. They had saved the village from tyranny, in an indirect sort of way, but they were instrumental to the village's freedom. That was a win however you slice it.

* * *

They had said their farewells to Inari, Tazuna and the rest of the village. Inari was bawling his eyes out, saying that he would miss Naruto and Ino, causing both blondes to blush in annoyance and really desire to leave quickly. Now, they were on their way home.

However, there was one last thing to take care of.

Kakashi glared at Zabuza. "You are a criminal, Zabuza. A murderer, a monster in the highest regard. Should finish you where you stand. However, after eharing about how you took in Haku after his parents died, and seeing as you genuinely care about him.....I am a little reluctant to deal a lethal blow."

Zabuza nodded. "Don't worry; I won't be causing any problems for a while. Yarou's still out there and I need to find him. He wanted to take Haku away, why I don't know, but he's not going to give up just like that. I'm going to find him and kill him. But," she turned to Haku, eyes downcast, "I can't take Haku with me. I don't want them to hurt him, and I doubt I'll be able to fight as well if I keep worrying about him." She turned back to the four Konoha nin. "That's why I'll leave him with you."

Haku stared at his companion. "No! Zabuza-sama, you need me. You said that I'm your weapon; you can't throw me away, not yet! I'm still useful to you!"

Zabuza smiled, the bandages covering her mouth gone, revealing her shark-like teeth. "Don't worry, Haku, I'll be back." Tears fell from her eyes. "Besides, you were never just a weapon to me. You were the closest thing I've ever had to family, to someone I cared about. You're my son, and I'll always love you. Goodbye."

She knocked the boy out with a head-butt, earning shocked looks from everyone. She turned away, walking away. No-one said anything, there was nothing to say. Naruto just lifted up the boy and carried him on her back. They all walked the long road home, silently.

* * *

_The Zabuza arc is finally done! Whee! Did you enjoy it?_

_I hope you are okay with what I've done here, and that I haven't done any OOC moments or just made a mess of certain scenes. And now Haku has joined the main cast! Hooray!_

_Are you surprised by the ending? It's very different from the anime and manga, huh?_

_Also, did you enjoy the battle between Team 7 and Kurohane (Yarou's group)? Each member has their own skills, and we'll see more of that in future._

_And how does Kakashi know Yarou anyway? Oooh, mystery!_

_Hope you enjoyed it, and please comment!_


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto the Great Kunoichi Part 9

They had returned to the village, and had placed Haku in the hospital, due to his injuries sustained from the fight with those three people.

Naruto was bothered by this. She didn't know who those people were, or why they were after Haku, but somehow they were connected to Konoha. The leader's comments as well as Kakashi-sensei's reactions were proof enough.

What's more, she was no closer to winning Sakura-chan's heart than ever. And she was sure Ino had some plan to ensnare her in the works, too.

Plus, Kakashi-sensei said that she had some important news for them. She clutched her head in pain, her brain overworked.

----------------

Sakura made sure that she was looking extra pretty today. She had returned to the village after such a hard fight, and she wanted to try and win over Sasuke's affections, before Ino could.

Speaking of the last mission, though it was a hard fight, she couldn't really claim to have done anything. It was mostly Kakashi and Naruto who did the fighting, and even Ino-pig helped. She, however, simply stood and watched.

She didn't want that. She didn't want to be helpless as one of her dearest and closest friends died in front of her.

She wanted to get stronger; she had to, to protect her friends.

-----------------

Ino looked around, trying to find some way of getting Sakura to notice her feelings, especially considering that Naruto was probably planning the exact same thing.

She found some rather sad looking clothing, a black shrt with a high collar and a pair of shorts. They looked like the sort of thing Sasuke would wear.

Then again, Sakura liked that jackhole, so maybe...

She smirked. Yeah, this might work.

* * *

They went up to the bridge, the three of them, where Kakashi stood waiting for them.

"Wow, on time for once." Naruto remarked, grinning. "lemme guess, the guy you liked dumped you, didn't he?"

"I have more important things to discuss." Kakashi replied in a threatening tone, and then quickly brightened somewhat. "I have come to a decision, and I realise now that you three show promise. As such, I have entered you into the upcoming Chunin exams."

"Wha!?" Naruto said, grinning excitedly. "That's amazing, Kakashi-sensei!"

The white-haired woman nodded. "As such, you should get going. The first part of the exam starts soon."

"WHAT!?"

"Oh yeah, didn't I tell you? It starts today. Just get over to the academy, right quick."

They did so, bringing a cloud of dust as they ran over to where they were supposed to be.

* * *

The Hokage looked down at the young man in the bed before him. Haku had been an enemy, and had almost killed Naruto. However, Kakashi had said that she saw promise in him, a chance a redemption, but only if he were given it.

The Hokage frowned. But would putting him through the exam be wise? He hoped so.

* * *

Sasuke walked around with his teammates, Chuni and Shika. Shika was lazy and preferred to sleep and watch clouds over doing anything really remarkable or important, and Chuni was pretty much only adept at eating. Shika wore a loose white T-shirt and had black hair done up in a ponytail; and Chuni wore jeans and yellow hot top with a loose, green outer shirt over it, her orangey hair was done up in twin braids that trailed over her shoulders and rested on the very top of her breasts.

However, he had managed to form a team with them, even if it was a rather loose, unreliable team.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," Chuni said, eating a bag of potato chips, "where do you think the best places to eat are?"

"You already ate five minute ago." Sasuke said through gritted teeth, annoyed.

"I wouldn't argue with her, Sasu." Shika said absently. "It's too troublesome."

That was when three young girls crashed into them. Sasuke glared, and found that the interruption was caused by his former teammates and that blonde girl that he found almost as irritating as Sakura, what's her face...Inu.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed. Ino forced a smiled, and Naruto frowned, then brightened at the sight of the two women beside him.

"Oh, kawaii!" Naruto exclaimed, walking over to the girls. "You girls are so cute! What are your names, numbers, personal details?"

Shika sighed. "I am Shika Nara. My companion here is Chuni. And the jerk between us is Sasuke Uchiha."

"We met." Naruto said darkly, and then brightened. "So, have you two got anyone special on your lives?"

"Not really." Shika admitted, and Chuni dragged her foot along the ground, looking downwards shamefully.

Naruto grinned. "I see, so how would you two like to go out with m..."

"Naruto." Ino growled from behind her. "If you finish that sentence, you die."

"Eeep! O-okay, Ino-chan." Naruto slumped down, grimacing in defeat.

"So, how are you, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said, in her most adorable voice.

"Meh." Sasuke replied with a shrug non-committedly.

"I...see." Sakura replied, feeling shot down. As well she should, because had been.

"Hey."

They all turned, and saw people that they ahdn't seen around the village before. One had weird purple markings on her face, her hair in twin stubby ponytails just popping out from the top of her cat ear hat. She had her black shirt and pants fashioned so that they showed off her mid-riff. The Male of the group was pretty tall, and had short sandy blonde hair that tapered into a large point at the back (kinda like Sasuke's hair, but different) and had two bangs at sides, and he wore a white shirt and tan pants. The final member was a young girl with long hair, who wore a brown-crimson shirt and a cream skirt. Her hair was styled into two little ponytails. She seemed...timid, to say the least.

"Can you direct us to the Ninja Academy?" The man said. "We're visting here, and would wish to join in the Chunin exams."

"Hey, that's where we're going." All six Konoha nin said at the same time. Naruto grinned. "Just follow us."

"Thanks." The man said, though his tone didn't reflect the statement. He sounded...cold.

The young red-haired girl clung close to the man as they walked over to the Academy. She would have to be barely 9.

Naruto wasn't sure, but for some reason she sensed....terrible sadness, and loneliness, as well as...hatred. It was probably her imagination.

-------------------

They had all separated, finding their own way to the exams. Naruto, Ino and Sakura wandered around, aimlessly searching for the room where the exams would begin.

"You there!"

They turned, and saw a curious young girl with a two long braids on either side of her head done up in a loop with a little clothed bun on top, a long sleeved green top and green pants with orange...things over them. Her shirt barely covered her navel. Her eyes...were incredibly weird looking.

"Are any of you Sasuke Uchiha!?" She proclaimed.

"Uh...no." Ino said dryly.

"Damn!" The girl yelled out. "Then, I must continue searching."

"Why are you so interested in Sasuke?" Naruto asked, though she could probably guess why.

The girl saluted. "I am Rock Lin! I am a ninja warrior, and am proud of this! I have heard that Uchiha is supposed to be strong, and I wish to test this out, to see whether he is worthy of my admiration, or my scorn!"

Naruto sighed. "Why do all the cute ones go after SASUKE?"

"Tell me about it..." Ino returned, her expression the same as Naruto's.

Sakura was a little confused as to what the two blondes where talking about, but decided to be helpful. Afetr all, no way would Sasuke like someone this weird. Better to break her hopes now, rather than later when it'd be more devastating.

"He was behind us, so if you go down that way, you might be able to find him."

"Thank you, yosh!" She said, and then ran down the hall.

"What a weird girl." Sakura remarked.

"Yeah..."

* * *

They had finally reached their destination, and entered.

They gulped a little, staring in a little nervousness as they found themselves surrounded by a large group of genin. A young man with glasses and white hair approached them.

"Hey there." He said. "I am Kabuto, and I and a few other Leaf nin are sitting over there, trying to figure out strategies. I would appreciate it if you join us."

"Sure!" Naruto said, grinning.

She liked making new friends. Besides, she might meet some cute ladies.

Elsewhere, Yarou stood at the place where the finals would eventually be held.

"It's almost showtime." The criminal said, grinning. "The Chunin exams are upon us, along with a good deal of ninja with skills that we might be able to use."

"Plus, Haku and the fox brat will be here, as well." Kusotore remarked.

Yarou nodded. "Agreed. And, of course, Orochi-chan and the Third Hokage himself will be making an appearance. Can't wait. Soon, all these years of planning, preparing and waiting will reach fruition. Soon, we shall have our revenge."

He laughed, anticipating the future.

* * *

_Yeah, a new chapter at last. And, it's onto the best arc, the Chunin exams. Or, at least, second best._

_Yeah, Yarou's back. He won't be leaving for a while folks._

_If any of you are wondering why Ino tried to stop Naruto from flirting....well, it's probably because she couldn't tolerate Naruto betraying Sakura, despite being rivals. Or something._

_Again, any ideas on possinle pairings, or ideas in general, will be helpful._

_And I did the impossible. I made Gaara...cute._

_Any ideas on who else could be gender bent in future, and how they'd look._

_Also, I tried my best to describe the ew appearances of our cast. Hope you like._

_Don't worry, Haku will be rejoining Naruto and the gang soon. Be patient._

_Hope you enjoyed it, and please comment._


End file.
